A
REPORT ON
IMPACT OF TERRORISM IN MUMBAI ON INDIAN ECONOMY
A CASE STUDY
Report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the
degree of BBA
GUIDED BY: SUBMITTED BY:
Mr.Sunil Kumari Ankur Jaiswal
Kasturi Ram College Of Higher Education
(2009-2012)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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S.NO PARTICULARSPAGE
NO.
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1 LITERATURE REVIEW 1
2 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT 2
4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3
5 INTRODUCTION 4
6 TERRORIST ATTACKS IN INDIA 6
7 MUMBAI-FINANCIAL CAPITAL OF INDIA 7
8 BOMBAY BLAST 1993 9
9 MUMBAI ATTACK 2008 12
10 STEPS TAKEN TO COUNTER TERRORISM IN INDIA 20
11 HOW OTHER ECONOMIES FOUGHT TERROR 25
12 SUGGESTIONS 27
13 CONCLUSION 28
14 BIBLIOGRAPHY 29
DECLARATION
This is to certify that Report entitled “Impact of Terrorism in Mumbai on Indian
Economy- A Case Study” which is submitted by me in partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the award of BBA to Kasturi Ram College Of Higher Education, Delhi
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comprises only my original work and has not been submitted in part or full for any other
degree or diploma of any university.
(ANKUR JAISWAL)
046/DSPSR/FT-08
(Mrs. SUNIL KUMARI)
Supervisor
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
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I take this opportunity to express my deep sense of gratitude to all those who have
contributed significantly by sharing their knowledge and experience in the
completion of this project work.
I am greatly obliged to, for providing me with the right kind of opportunity and
facilities to complete this venture.
I am highly thankful to Mr. Gaurav Ahuja my internal faculty guide under whose
able guidance this project work was carried out. I thank him for his continuous
support and mentoring during the tenure of the project.
Finally, I would also like to thank all my dear friends and my family for their
cooperation, advice and encouragement during the long and arduous task of
carrying out the project and preparing this report.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Terrorist attacks are usually shocking to us, the sheer unpredictability of the attack on
innocent people is what makes us gape and gasp. One of the common targets that
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terrorists choose, are high profile political or economic targets, such as the the
Bombay stock exchange, the Indian Parliament, THE Twin Towers, etc. Many
countries of the world have been spending time and resources to counter terrorism.
To see the impact of terrorism on the economy, we have to first define what we mean
by the economy. Economy involves activities that are related to the production and
distribution of goods and services in a particular geographic region.
There have been various terrorist attacks in India and the Mumbai has been their
target many times. The reason is that Mumbai is the economic capital of India. Many
foreign investors tend to look at India through the prism of Mumbai. the city has seen
many terrorist attacks like – Bombay Blast 1993 and Mumbai Attack 2008. Terrorist
attacks affects the economy of the country, its various industries like tourism,
aviation, insurance, business etc.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
As the title of the project suggests, the objective of the project is to study the impact of
terrorist attacks in Mumbai on Indian Economy.
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SUB- OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT:
To know how well the Indian Government deals with terrorist attacks and its
aftermath.
To study the laws or provisions related to terrorism.
To study the impact of terrorism on various sectors such as productivity, business,
tourism, IT, oil and gas, insurance.
To know how other economies have fought terrorism.
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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The purpose of research methodology is to provide a sound platform for the
researcher to achieve the aim and objectives of the study.
Present study work is a descriptive and analytical research .The secondary data for
the study has been drawn from various magazines such as Business Today, Corporate
India., Business world and internet for collecting the information.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The information used in the research is based on the Macro Scenario.
The Research Design used in this project is rigid and is not flexible.
The Research is entirely based on Secondary Data .
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INTRODUCTION
TERRORISM
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, violent or destructive acts (using sophisticated
weapons) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into
granting their demands. Terrorism refer only to those acts which
(1) Are intended to create fear (terror),
(2) Are perpetrated for an ideological goal (as opposed to a materialistic goal or a lone
attack) (3) deliberately target (or disregard the safety of) non-combatants.
The strategy of terrorists is to commit acts of violence that draws the attention of the local
populace, the government, and the world to their cause. The terrorists plan their attack to
obtain the greatest publicity, choosing targets that symbolize what they oppose.
A person who practices terrorism is a terrorist. Acts of terrorism are criminal acts
according to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 and the domestic
jurisprudence of almost all nations.
Terrorist attacks are often targeted to maximize fear and publicity. They usually use
explosives or poison, but there is also concern about terrorist attacks using weapons of
mass destruction.
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INDIAN ECONOMY
India’s economy has been one of the stars of global economics in recent years, growing 9.2% in 2007 and 9.6% in 2006. Growth had been supported by markets reforms, huge inflows of FDI, rising foreign exchange reserves, both an IT and real estate boom, and a flourishing capital market.
India economy, the third largest economy in the world, in terms of purchasing power, is going to touch new heights in coming years. As predicted by Goldman Sachs, the Global Investment Bank, by 2035 India would be the third largest economy of the world just after US and China. It will grow to 60% of size of the US economy.
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TERRORIST ATTACKS IN INDIA
The country has never been as terrorised as it is now. There have been various terrorist
attacks in different parts of the country. Be it in Delhi, Mumbai, Punjab, Assam, Jammu
and Kashmir, etc. hardly any state has been left from the attacks of the terrorists on the
innocent people. Terrorism left no part of the country untouched, having made in-roads
into the south by attacking Bangalore and Hyderabad, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Lucknow,
Ahemdabad, etc.There has been increase in terrorist attacks from across the border in
recent years. Repeated terror attacks have undermined citizen’s security.
Overall taking all forms of violence together, 2004-08 witnessed 25,042 incidents and
6,646 casualties as compared to 36,259 incidents and 11,714 casualties during 1999-
2003.
Mumbai has been the most preferred target for most terrorist organizations.
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MUMBAI-FINANCIAL CAPITAL OF INDIA
It is the economic and financial capital of India. It is the base of India's offshore oil
industry. It provides a vision of what the rest of India could be in years to come if the
modernization and globalization policies of the government continue to make progress. It
is the home of India's largest share market. It is a major contributor of the tax revenue of
the government. Many multinational companies prefer to locate their corporate
headquarters in Mumbai.
Mumbai, home to Asia’s oldest stock exchange, the country’s central bank and capital
markets regulator, and India’s largest corporate houses—the Reliance, Tata and Birla
groups—accounts for 5% of the country’s $1 trillion (Rs49.9 trillion) economy and
contributes one-third of its direct taxes.
Though Mumbai is not India, many foreign investors tend to look at India through the
prism of Mumbai. If internal security in Mumbai is good, they look at internal security in
India as a whole as satisfactory. If it is bad in Mumbai, they tend to look on security of
life and property in the rest of the country as worrisome, even if this is not necessarily so.
Mumbai is one of the world's top 10 centres of commerce and contributes to about 5 per
cent of India's GDP and accounts for 25 per cent of the industrial output, 40 per cent of
maritime trade, and 70 per cent of capital transactions to the economy.
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Mumbai has been the most preferred target for most terrorist organizations because they
want to disrupt economic progress of India. The city has seen eight major terrorist attacks
in the past 15 years. For example:-
12 March 1993 – Series of 13 bombs go off killing 257.
26 November 2008 to 29 November 2008 – series of attacks killing at least 172.
These terrorist attacks have affected Indian Economy.
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BOMBAY BLAST 1993
12 March 1993 – Series of 13 bombs go off killing 257.
Mumbai in India has been a tempting target for jihad terrorists since 1993. The 13 bomb
blasts that occurred in public places on March 12, 1993 — killing 257 people and
injuring nearly thrice as many in March 1993, the places where the blasts took place
include the stock exchange building on Dalal Street, the Air India building in Nariman
Point, three hotels (Sea Rock, Juhu Centaur and Airport Centaur) besides crowded
markets. The targets chosen were of economic significance, such as the Mumbai Stock
Exchange building, the office of an airline, a hotel near the airport, etc.
SHATETERING THE PEACE
India is no stranger to major attacks, with a string of uprisings and explosions since
independence in 1947.
Bombay, the financial centre, was also hit by a series of bomb blasts in 1993 that killed
317 people and wounded more than 1,000.
The terror attacks in Mumbai were not merely aimed at exacerbating tensions between
India and Pakistan, between Hindus and Muslims. These attacks were also aimed at
hurting the economy of one of the world’s fastest-growing large countries.
The attacks were designed to destroy the relative peace and economic rise being enjoyed
by the city. The explosions were aimed at targeting the economic activity of the city as
well as Bombay as a tourist destination.
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DOLLAR PRESSURE
The immediate reaction was one of shock. The rupee lost 0.15% against the dollar to
close at its lowest level for 10 days. The slump came at a time when the share market had
been expected to rally into a sixth straight week, buoyed by strong foreign investment
and expectations of strong economic growth after a good monsoon.
TOURISM
Bombay is attraction for foreign tourists for recuperation as well as for trading. Any act
of terrorism is likely to deter tourists to come to the city.
As a sequel there to the demand for hotel occupancy considerably came down. The
demand for hotel accommodation in five star hotels in Mumbai dropped considerably.
Tourism and allied industries were badly affected by the terrorist attack bringing down
the foreign exchange reserves of India.
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IMPACT ON BUSINESS
Immediately after the blasts, Indian shares fell by nearly 3%, while The benchmark index
of the Bombay stock exchange, the Sensex, closed down 3% or 119 points at 4,005 -
putting an end to the five-day rally which drove prices up 5% last week to their highest
level in 29 months.
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MUMBAI ATTACK 2008
26 November 2008 to 29 November 2008 – series of attacks killing at least 172.
The recent terror attacks in Mumbai, India took everyone by shock. It was one of the
most deadly attacks because of the sophistication level of the terrorists and the planning
that went into the operation. Just a handful of terrorists brought down a nation on its
knees for 3 days.
The attacks, which began on 26 November 2008 and lasted until 29 November, killed at
least 173 people and wounded at least 308. The attacks drew widespread condemnation
across the world.
The attacks on Mumbai are a new blow to an economy already suffering from internal
problems due to global recession. And when Mumbai aches, the soreness spreads across
the entire economy.
IMMIDIATE IMPACT
The immediate impact of terrorism is the loss of life, destruction of property and loss of
man-days. There were vigils held across all of India with candles and placards
commemorating the victims of the attacks. Besides the immediate impact on the victims
and their families, the attacks caused widespread anger among the Indian public and
condemnations throughout the world.
Shooting of Bollywood films and TV series has also been halted in the city. Two
remaining one-day internationals of the seven match series between the visiting England
cricket team and India were cancelled.
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The inaugural Twenty20 Champions League scheduled from 3 to 10 December, Mumbai
being one of the host cities, was postponed.
The immediate impact of 26/11 attack in South Mumbai was:-
(a) Reduced business activity
(b) Higher cost of doing business
(c) Weakened sentiments
(d) Global scarcity of liquidity hitting business.
GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS
International reaction for the attacks was widespread, with many countries and
international organizations condemning the attacks and expressing their condolences to
the civilian victims. Many important personalities around the world also condemned the
attacks. Former US President George W. Bush said "We pledge the full support of the
United States as India investigates these attacks, brings the guilty to justice and sustains
its democratic way of life.
Condolessa Rice, US Secretary of State, travelled to India on 4 Dec 2008 at the request of
President George W. Bush in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.
POLITICAL FALLOUT
On the political front, the siege of South Mumbai has already taken its toll. Union home
minister Shivraj Patil -- responsible for the nation's security -- has resigned. Former
finance minister P. Chidambaram has taken over that job. Prime Minister Singh has taken
charge of the finance portfolio.
In the state of Maharashtra, too, of which Mumbai is the capital, heads have rolled. Chief
minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has been forced to resign.
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IMPACT ON VARIOUS INDUSTRIES
TOURISM
The terror strikes are proving to be the proverbial final nail in the tourism coffin and body
blow to the tourism.
Hospitality and tourism are two sectors that will be affected by terrorist attacks. Estimates
suggest that nationally hotels have seen about 60% booking cancellations. Holiday
destinations such as Goa are feeling the pinch even more because of intelligence reports
that they could be future targets for terrorists. Hotel occupancy in western India is down
some 25% and rates have plunged and Gross earnings from foreign tourists are currently
around 1% of GDP. There has been Rs. 4000 cr. Loss to the financial capital.
The Taj and Oberoi were attacked by the terrorists which now require an estimated cost
of 640 cr. For their restoration, Taj alone accounting for Rs. 500 cr. The Mumbai and
Delhi have 30000rooms. 15000-18000 rooms remained empty in Mumbai and Delhi’s
luxury hotels. Occupancy level is expected to go down by 50-60%.
25% cancellations in inbound travel in first week of dec.35%-40% dip in inbound
tourism.acc to industry estimates dip in inbound tourism at 35-40%.
Acc. To data from ministry of tourism , the tourism industry contributed $11.66 billion in
forex earnings in 2007-08.Likely to be declined by 40% as an impact of the post terror
attacks.
Some executives and companies have cancelled their visit to India during that period like
Glaxo Smithkline. Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Company prohibited their staff from
travelling to Mumbai during that period.
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RETAIL INDUSTRY
Service businesses that thrive in open spaces like malls, multiplexes, hypermarkets and
restaurants also borne the brunt of the strike.
The retail industry was affected during first two days of the attacks. According To
Morgan Stanley report, after the terrorist strike pantaloons total sales in Mumbai declined
by 4.2% week end after the attacks compared to the previous weekends compared to
increase of 15.1% retail sales in rest of India.
Even restaurants are providing gun-toting guards for the safety of invited guests at their
wine yards and wineries.
AVIATION
There will be a short-term dip on account of terror in Mumbai but global economic crises
will have far greater impact on international tourism and business.
The reluctance to travel will hit the aviation sector.
Many international airlines temporarily discontinued operations to Mumbai in the interest
of passenger and crew safety.
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INSURANCE
• There will be a direct loss on account of loss of life in case of victims. This will
be directly billed to respective companies who covered the lives of the deceased
individuals.
• In the case of assets [loss of property], there is a terrorism risk mechanism.
• There will be an increased demand for insurance covers. Some sense of proper
pricing will now prevail as the pricing would be carried out in keeping with the
loss experienced.
• Insurance companies will be choosy in providing cover for loss of property due to
terror attacks at an enhanced premium.
IMPACT ON IT, OIL AND GAS
• The perception of increased risk in India could also impact the IT industry, which
depends on client visits to seal deals
• IT industry has already spread their risk; they have back-up operations in other
countries such as China.
• "Oil & gas and other large operations are vulnerable to attack,". Beefing up
security will add to their costs. But these are strategic industrial assets for the
country as a whole, and part of the expenditure is likely to be borne by the
government.
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IMPACT ON BUSINESS
Analysts have already started giving initial estimates that suggest the loss in business due
to the attacks would be about $100 billion, arising from crucial institutions, such as the
stock exchanges, commodities and money markets, and business and commercial
establishments which remained closed. The most significant long term impact on the
people of Mumbai- right from roadside hawker to the senior executive and indeed on
urban masses on all major cities.
There is also a hit of $20 billion on the foreign exchange front.
Both investor and consumer confidence will have been dented by the terrorist attack on
Mumbai, with overseas investors unlikely to rush back in.
“Business confidence has been hit by the financial and economic crisis. The terrorist
attacks will be another burden on the Indian economy.
The rupee fell to an all-time low of 50.60 against the dollar down more than 20% owing
to capital outflows and a withdrawal of foreign credit lines from risky markets.
Mumbai brings in 40% of foreign trade, 60% of customs duty collections, 40% of
income tax collections, 20% of central excise collections and $10 billion in corporate
taxes.
The Mumbai terror attack has been the most dramatic in a long series of terror events in
India. It involved foreign hostages and places where business leaders, executives and
foreigners frequented. This grabbed worldwide attention and there is certainly a negative
impact on India's risk and security perception. It will dent foreign investors' views of
India and this will lead to a drop in investments.
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According to recent data, in the second quarter (July-September) of 2008, GDP growth
has fallen to 7.6% compared to 7.9% in the previous quarter. The growth rate in the first
half of the year was 7.8%, compared to 9.3% for the corresponding period of the previous
year.
The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensex has meanwhile been hovering around 9,000,
a far cry from the 21,000 it had crossed in January. The Bombay Stock Exchange and
National Stock Exchange remained closed on 27 November 2008. The downfall of
Sensex was due to outflow of FDI.
The government has meanwhile cut the administered price of petrol and other petro-
products. The central government has also been announcing components of a stimulus
package to boost the economy.
The India’s trade with other countries could also be affected because of terror attacks.
Exports already down by 12% in October 08 could take a further dive.
Exporters claim that most of the orders have been cancelled as they have cancelled their
trips to the country and directly hitting medium and small units.
Our loss is gain of China and Vietnam. We are likely to lose export targets of $200
billion.
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FDI has grown robustly in first half of 2008-09 i.e., $ 19 billion against $ 7 billion in the
same period in previous fiscal year. The negative sentiment after terror attack are likely
to be reflected in the FII and FDI figures.
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STEPS TAKEN TO COUNTER TERRORISM IN INDIA
ANTI TERRORIST LAWS
Terrorism is a persistent problem in India dating back in 1993. Time to time measures
have been taken by the govt. to counteract it through various ordinances / acts viz.
TADA, POTA.
Anti-terrorism laws in India have always been a subject of much controversy.
because of continuing terrorist activities, the statutes have been reintroduced with
requisite modifications. The legislations in force to check terrorism in India are the
National Security Act, 1980
Under this act the government gets judicial power to detain any person who
breaches security of India, for a period of 12 months.
The Unlawful Activities(Prevention) Act, 1967.
The UAPA was designed to deal with associations and activities that questioned the
territorial integrity of India.
However, there were many instances of misuse of power for collateral purposes.
(THE) TERRORIST AND DISRUPTIVE ACTIVITIES (PREVENTION) ACT,
1987(TADA)
Commonly known as TADA, the act was the first and only legislative effort by the Union
government to define and counter terrorist activities. It was formulated in the back drop
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of growing terrorist violence in Punjab which had its violent effects in other parts of the
country too, including capital New Delhi. The Act, which was criticized on various
counts by human rights organizations and political parties, was permitted to lapse in May
1995 though cases initiated while it was in force continue to hold legal validity
The Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act, 1999(MCOCA)
Other major Anti-terrorist law in India is The Maharashtra Control of Organized
Crime Act, 1999(MCOCA) which was enforced on 24th April 1999. This law was
specifically made to deal with rising organized crime in Maharashtra and specially
in Mumbai due to the underworld.
POTA(Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act)
In 2002 March session of the Indian parliament the Prevention Of Terrorist Activities Act
was introduced and it had widespread opposition not even in the Indian parliament but
throughout India especially with the human rights organization because they thought that
the act violated most of the fundamental rights provided in the Indian constitution. The
protagonists of the Act have, however, hailed the legislation on the ground that it has
been effective in ensuring the speedy trial of those accused of indulging in or abetting
terrorism. POTA is useful in stemming "state-sponsored cross-border terrorism". The
Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (POTA), was seen as a controversial piece of
legislation ever since it was conceived as a weapon against terrorism.
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SECURITY MEASURES
We are fundamentally not a security conscious culture. Until one actually
experiences a threat, there is a tendency not to take security seriously. We look at
security as an expenditure rather than an investment. Several companies and
public places in Mumbai have completely overhauled their security systems like
Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai is installing more CCTVs, metal detectors and
x-ray baggage machines.
Several companies like Zicom Electronic security system, Tops Group and Zen
Technologies have offered their latest technologies to provide security systems.
Security has become a good business in India. And overall security market is
worth Rs.4000cr.
IRDA has created a common pool for terrorism insurance.
General insurance cos. Route the premium collected to the common pool and
settle claims from the same. An insurance co must assess a property’s value, its
structure and all its contents. Insurance agreement should clearly and specifically
list all types of terrorism acts in the policy documents.
Specific terrorist covers are being launched as group schemes with limited
benefits and cheaper cost.
When it comes to terror companies have to look at all three aspects- prevention,
reaction and resumption. Prevention otherwise is the responsibility of the state but
terrorists can be deterred by implementing strict security, educating employees
about the same. Every person from junior most service employee to the senior
most manager should be subjected to same level of security. Companies should
audit both crises plan and resumption plan either virtually or through practice.
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CURBING FUNDING LINES
Even as India plans to beef up its security and surveillance system it is equally important
to choke the funding lines to the terror organizations.
Terrorists find many sources of money. Some sources of terror funding are:
Foreign governments
Charitable organizations
Financial markets
Legitimate business fronts
Various forms of international trade
Criminal activities such as extortion, video piracy, prostitution rings & drug
trafficking.
In south Asia, the heroin and drug trade is one major source of terrorist financing.
India is yet to make any progress in identifying such sources.
Indian safeguards:-
Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA 2002) forms the core of
the legal framework put in place by India to combat money laundering. PMLA
2002 and the Rules notified there under came into force with effect from July 1,
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2005.
The PMLA 2002 impose obligation on banking companies, financial institutions
and intermediaries to verify identity of clients, maintain records and furnish
information to FIU-IND. PMLA 2002 defines money laundering offence and
provides for the freezing, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds of crime.
Financial Intelligence Unit(FIU) set up in November 2004 to investigate
suspicious transactions.
FIU as the central national agency is responsible for receiving, processing,
analyzing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions.
FIU-IND is also responsible for coordinating and strengthening efforts of national
and international intelligence, investigation and enforcement agencies in pursuing
the global efforts against money laundering and related crimes. FIU-IND is an
independent body reporting directly to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC)
headed by the Finance Minister.
RBI, SEBI, IRDA Have Anti-money Laundering and Know Your Customer
(KYC) guidelines.
Banks and FIIs to report cash transactions involving more than Rs. 10lakhs ,
forged or counterfeit currencies or other suspicious transactions.
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HOW OTHER ECONOMIES FOUGHT TERROR
US
The US tragedy of 9/11 by Al-Qaida terrorists which used airplanes as missiles brought
down two of the larger buildings in the world severely damaged the Pentagon and killed
3,025 people. Those attacks wiped out 200,000 jobs, busted 80,000 small businesses and
raised $16 b worth of buildings, besides forcing a week long-shut down of Wall Street.
The insurance and airline industries were the worst hit, and property and casualty claims
mounted to $40 b. air services were cut back 20%, 100,000 airline jobs were cut.
Within mere hours after the attack, the US Federal Reserve launched a rescue package by
infusing $ 100 b into the economy everyday for 3 days.
The Bank of Japan and other central banks across Canada and Europe were mobilized
into supporting the dollar and easing the flow of money across money markets.
Federal loans, grants and industry-specific bailouts followed. A week later, when Wall
Street reopened and trading resumed on the NYSE, the Fed dropped interest rates by
0.5% to spur growth. With 3 more cuts it brought the rates down to 1.75 % by Dec.2001.
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US Airlines received a $ 15 billion – aid package and small businesses which were
adversely impacted by the attacks were given loans and grants. Plus, the city of New
York was given $21.7 b of federal aid.
UK
July 7, 2005 central London was bombed. Underground trains and double Decker bus
were the targets killing 52 , injuring 700 people.
There was little economic impact
Bank of England kept rates unchanged to avoid panic.
London Metal Exchange shut for a day.
20% more shoppers in central London the very next weekend.
No drop off in hotels
Less than 0.5% of GDP lost.
ISRAEL
Various Terrorist attacks have also taken place in Israel. Some steps taken by Israel to
deal with terrorism:-
At hotels and restaurants there’s always an armed guard along with metal
detectors and many restaurants charge a small fee for security services.
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The major advantage with Israeli corporate citizens is that all of them have served
a stint in the armed forces. While adult males serve a minimum of three year
tenure, females serve a minimum of 18 months.
There’s an act in Israel which compensates companies which are victims of terror
attacks – the Property Tax and Compensation Act 1961.
SUGGESTIONS
Security of citizens is a cornerstone of any democracy, along with liberty and equality.
Repeated terror attacks have undermined citizen’s security. Not just that, it has eroded the
citizen’s faith in the state’s ability to provide security.
When the terror struck Mumbai in November 2008 was when government took some
positive security measures after some dithering. The setting up of National Investigation
Agency and making the existing anti-terror laws tougher are likely to change the
scenario. There should be a separate compensation law for the victims of terrorist attacks.
All the wings of armed forces should come forward to combat terrorism. Efforts should
be made to prevent funding of terrorist activities.
The Multi-Purpose National Identity Card (MNIC) scheme is another measure. The card
includes an individual’s biometrics and fingerprints. Government should also provide
every citizen a Unique Identity Number.
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CONCLUSION
Terrorism is a malady that has gripped the entire world community inflicting
economic, social and cultural losses on the affected countries. There have been
repeated terrorist attacks of the same dimensions particularly in US, Iran,
Afghanistan, India, etc. These attacks will have a huge impact on long term economic
growth.
Terrorism cannot be controlled by a country individually but rather efforts of entire
world community through the specialized institutions like UNO have to be ushered
in. Everyone should come together and help fight against terror. Individual efforts to
counteract terrorism have to be supplemented by International support by the affected
countries.
Boundaries of terrorism are increasing day by day. All-round efforts are needed like
enhanced electronic surveillance at the international airports, sea routes, industries,
atomic installations, hotels, tourist resorts.
All the wings of armed forces should come forward to combat terrorism on a war
footing. Concept of insurance has to be revamped to help the mishap victims
psychologically and financially.
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On the political front efforts have to taken to prevent money laundering , funding of
terrorist activities by religious fanatics to prevent diversion of funds, prevention of
smuggling activities and drug trafficking.
Ultimately the timing of the terror attacks with the economic slowdown is an
unfortunate double whammy for India.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
MAGAZINES:
• Business Today, Volume 17, No.26, December 2008
• Corporate India
NEWSPAPER:
Times of India, 17th March 2009, “Where security is a paper tiger”
INTERNET:
wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism
wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism_in_india
www.livemint.com/2008/11/28001033/Only-shortterm-impact-on-Indi.html
knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4339
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